Returning Home From Hell
by Odama Rasendori
Summary: The night after Madara's defeat, Naruto's soul is torn from his body to fight a war in Hell with Kyuubi and the other biju. Years of war makes even the most disciplined mind forget important people and memories. Naru/Ino, one-shot.


**Returning Home From Hell**

**Naruto Fanfiction**

**One Shot**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a single shred of Naruto**

**Hey guys. I've been very busy at school and haven't been able to focus on any of my stories. Lately, I've had a bit of free time and have begun writing more chapters for Voice of the Wanderer: Eighteenth Wish, currently at chapter 4. However, I haven't posted chapters 2, 3, and 4 because I'm afraid that my writing isn't up to par with my skill and style as compared to last year or the year before. I'm writing this one-shot as a test to see if I still have what it takes to continue my main story.**

**So, tell me what you guys think. I personally think the vocabulary is repetitive. I probably could have done better with imagination issues. I started his two days ago and only finished a few hours ago. The plot was a little thing I came up with during History class, while doodling. Aside from the two problems I just mentioned, see if you guys can pick up anything else.**

**HOTFIX: If it helps at all, I just realized it probably would, everyone is around 25/26 years old. Yes I know that Naruto is around 15 years old in the manga/anime, but just play pretend.**

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**Chapter 1**

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A spiky-haired blond, dressed in a shoddy and torn black cloak, sighed to himself, letting out a breath he'd held in for too long.

He kicked a skull off the ground, a human skull... or at least it was human. He sat on a conveniently placed boulder that was stationed near him as the Kyuubi no Kitsune appeared beside him in all its glory. Nine fox tails, covered in crimson chakra, danced in perfect insanity much like its owner. The young man looked to the demon fox, then surveyed his corpse-filled, graveyard-like surroundings. Replace the millions of corpses with tombstones and it would have really been a graveyard.

The scent of death reeked in the area for an untold measure of distance. Some bodies lay peacefully in death while some corpses burned in red and orange flames. Save the two, and some injured soldiers that writhed in pain, there wasn't much movement and breathing going on in the depths of the underworld. The seven rings of hell was quieter than it had been since the Kyuubi made his debut after a life-sacrifice for the man he'd grown to respect.

No one knew when the demon king suddenly grew a heart, nor why, but it wasn't questioned. For the annoying brat of a land lord who contained him for a little over two decades, he had grown a hint of admiration. In their years together, he had seen his pain, witnessed it, and loathed the humans for treating their own as filth. He understood that their source of hatred was because of him, but the blond did nothing to earn their wrath. They hated him for nothing.

For years he tried to convince his land lord to use his power and put the villagers to their place, yet the youth refused every time. He would prove to them all, especially the fox, that he could earn respect using his own power. He would be the village's protector. In the years to come, such a decision made little sense to the overlord of tailed beasts but it eventually did, jump-starting his once-thought dead heart in the process. For a jutsu that would have torn the world a new ass, courtesy of an immortal Uchiha, Kyuubi suddenly fused his power with his land lord.

In doing so the blond gained the strength to stop the Uchiha, silencing him or good. It didn't take long for the Kyuubi's remnants to disappear from the blond's gut. The fox was at peace, knowing he was able to help out his jailor at the last minute. It wasn't really a decision he slept with, but after finally swallowing his pride and finally admitting he was the source of the boy's pain, he knew amends were necessary. As his spirit faded, he would be judged by the death god in purgatory.

To no one's surprise, even his last ditch effort to win cookie points for heaven did little to outweigh all of his sins. As a price, the death god would swallow him... but Kyuubi had other plans. As the ruler of demons on Earth, his "good deed" made him sick to his stomach. Instead of accepting his fate, he brutally slew the death god, absorbed its power, and made his presence known in hell. He would have challenged Kami for his throne in heaven but figured all the peace and prosperity nonsense up there would bore him to kingdom come.

Instead, he opted to make the underworld his personal playground. Enlisting his fellow tailed beasts, all of whom awaited his descend to hell from Earth, the demon king waged war with the denizens of the evil. Kami, sensing a massive wave of imbalance between the forces of heaven and hell, began to watch with interest. The king of peace, seeing Kyuubi and his generals on the verge of defeat, visited a blond shinobi, the night he saved the world, pulled the soul from the body, and shoved him in hell.

Kami didn't particularly like Kyuubi, the two having had many disputes and ungodly levels of differences in the past, but he recognized the fox's decision to sacrifice his life in order for his jailor to gain the power that would save the world. As a reward, he would allow the Kyuubi his own kingdom. The blond was informed, via a messenger of Kami, his purpose in hell. The young man's confusion was shoved away when the one-tailed sand raccoon was about to be devoured by minions of hell.

The Earthly shinobi, on the way to saving the giant raccoon, realized an odd sensation on his body.

Although the demon fox was no longer renting a room in his stomach, demonic chakra had permanently fused with his former jailor, transforming the blond into a half-demon. Physically, there were very few changes to the shinobi's body. His nails became slightly sharper, along with his K-nines, and his muscles were more defined. His five senses were heightened, along with his mortal limitations. A very noticeable change, were the numerous streaks of white hair on the young man's head, as if permanently dyed.

Though powerful by mortal standards, even his new strength would pale in comparison to that of hell's officers. Fortunately, in hell, his powers grew even further. The negative energies that hell composed of fed the youth's demonic power, allowing him strength far beyond that of hell's more superior soldiers. However, even with the half-demon's aid, it would be a little over five millenia until the Kyuubi and his army would overthrow the current ruler of hell.

Kyuubi consumed the body of the now previous ruler and sat on his throne. A pair of horns grew on the fox's head as his generals paid respects to their master and the new king of all that is evil. The blond walked up to him, a smirk plastered on his face as he touched the razor-sharp horns.

"Five thousand years and now this place is finally yours. How does it feel, oh great one?" he mocked. The fox assumed a human form, though the horns were still intact. Majestic robes worthy of a king were draped on the Kyuubi's body. The king of hell returned the smirk.

"Ehh, it's not so bad. Kinda dull around here though. The place needs some new decors, maybe some sluts here and there," Kyuubi said humorously. Some of the tailed beasts chuckled at the thought. "So then, looks like your job here is done, brat."

"Heh, still treating me like a kid huh?" he asked.

"You may be a little over 5000 years old but to me, you're still an infant," he replied. With a snap of his fingers, a bowl of grapes appeared to the side, held on a golden dish by a very attractive succubus. She took a grape and inserted it into her king's mouth. Kyuubi chewed the piece of fruit slowly before looking up into the forever blackened sky. "Hoy, Kami! I don't suppose you're letting me keep this brat as my pet, are you?"

A white stroke of thunder zapped from the sky, to the ground, creating a fog of smoke. As the smoke came and went, a long, white-bearded old man, stood before the demon king. The blond raised an eyebrow. His thoughts of a more pure looking Kami were thrown out the window. The geezer that stood before him was dressed in a heavy-metal rocker's outfit, reminding his audience of a a KISS drummer- complete with face paint. Kami walked up to the blond and stretched his hand.

"Yo," he said casually, shaking the shocked shinobi's hand. "I don't really have a name but your people call me Kami. Anyway, I like what you did to the place. Looks kinda spiffy, smells like dead meat, but homey nonetheless."

"You're Kami?" said the blond, his lower jaw ready to disconnect from his face.

"Believe it," said Kyuubi, using his former jailor's old catch phrase.

"Right then, onto business," said Kami as he put his hand on the blond's head. Instantly, the young man's body radiated a white color. Kyuubi groaned miserably, knowing the fate of his former keeper.

"Dastardly old man, aren't you?" he said as he glanced to the glowing man. He had grown much, probably rivaling the height of the Cyclops-mimic of a shinobi in Konoha. "It looks like the bastard is bringing you back upstairs. Don't worry, 5000 years down here is nothing up there. Not much will have changed, trust me."

The blond nodded and stretched a fist to the demon king.

"It's been a blast, fighting this war with you, dumb fox," he said proudly. Kyuubi knocked fists with him and stood from his throne. He snapped his fingers once more as a large, red egg appeared on his palm. He opened the blond's hand and placed the egg there. Immediately, the egg cracked and revealed a pair of yellow eyes staring at the leaf shinobi. A furry, red, head emerged from the egg shell, along with the rest of its little body. The blond marveled at the sight of a mini Kyuubi no Kitsune. The only difference was that it only had one tail.

The little plushie-like fox smiled happily, light woofs coming from its mouth.

"What is this?" asked the confused shinobi.

"A little brat, like you, but cuter," the fox joked as he retreated to his marble throne. "Technically that thing is my offspring but since your face is the first thing it saw, it looks to you as its father. With my demonic chakra coursing through your veins, the more it will think you're its parent. Don't worry, it won't grow as large as my true form, probably the same size as Inuzuka's mutt. Consider it a memento to remember me by."

Unfortunately, the blond was no longer listening and was already hugging the mini fox in his arms.

"Aren't you the cutest little thing in the world?" he said to the fox with the voice of a pre-teen, rubbing their cheeks together. "From this day forth, you'll be known as Uzumaki Kyu."

"Hoy, Uzumaki," Kyuubi called, finally using his former jailor's name. The blond, and the fox in his arms, turned to face him. Kyuubi figured the small fox's attention was given to him due to the name "Uzumaki" that was used to call his "father" of a half-demon. "Live a long and happy life, you hear me? I doubt Kami will let you enter this place after you kick the bucket, so this will be the last time we see each other."

"Yeah, I know," he said as his body glowed more radiantly. "See you around, dumb fox. Rule this place with an iron fist."

"I intend to," he said as the blond and his former son vanished from the plane of the underworld. Kami bid his farewell and left shortly after. Kyuubi looked to Shukaku. "Hoy, liven this place up will you?"

"Hell yeah, boss!" said the deranged sand raccoon. With a bellowing roar, the fallen soldiers loyal to Kyuubi rose to life. The other tailed beasts summoned some new decorations and turned the place into an eternal strip club. Needless to say, the tailed beasts were happy campers. Eternity would be a somewhat quiet without the blond shinobi, Kyuubi figured, but at least he was free to live out the rest of his days without a demon in his stomach. Maybe now the accursed Konoha villagers would treat him with some respect.

Kyuubi had high hopes for the kid.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX **

Naruto awoke in a dark, cramped place, and in pain. His pain was intense at first but it quickly subsided as soon as his demonic healing powers kicked in. He started moving his joints, toes, and fingers around. He felt so food-deprived, like he hadn't had a bowl of ramen in five millenia. After all, people don't get hungry in hell. He noticed his fingers were skinny, bony even. The half-demon figured his body must have already decomposed over the course of time his soul wasn't in there.

He silently cursed Kami for not reanimating his body before driving his soul in.

Thanks to his accelerated healing, and a bit of help from higher ups, Naruto's body was completely rebuilt in a matter of minutes. His stomach was still complaining though, lack of food and all. Though his body threatened to collapse at any second from missing ramen in his bloodstream, Naruto tapped into some demonic reserves and formed a ball of twisting red and blue energy in his palm. The half-demon shoved the chakra ball above, attempting to break through whatever prison caged him.

In a massive explosion, the young man was dug out. Splinters erupted from the box that contained him, along with pounds of dirt and soil. Through it all his eyes were closed to protect his vision. A large breath was held in just in case, prior to the explosion of chakra. When the dust cleared, Naruto exhaled and opened his eyes to see a beautiful night sky that was unlike the bloody scene he was used to. Star glimmered thinly and brightly above. He climbed out of his prison and looked around.

The pitch black scenery was nothing out of the ordinary. Hell was about the same, and so his eyes were trained to see through the fog of blackness. There were gravestones everywhere. The scent of death was present but not quite as strong as the fresh corpses that lay in hell. The blond looked ahead to see some lights and a familiar village getting ready to retire for the night. It was then that a puff of red smoke appeared on his shoulder. The man smiled as a small fox let out a squeak.

"Kyu-chan, I was wondering where you went," he greeted. The little fox, its body the size of its surrogate father's hand, rubbed its cheek with his. "It looks like we're back in Konoha. This is my home... well it was until Kami pulled me away to fight a war in hell."

Kyu tilted his head in confusion.

"Don't worry about it. More importantly, it's draftier than usual isn't it?" he said and looked down, seeing himself in all the glory of his birthday suit. "That makes sense, I suppose. I guess my clothes were burnt off in that Rasengan explosion. I'll have to get me a new set."

The fox growled at him.

"You're hungry, aren't you? I haven't had anything to eat in 5000 years. The stomach doesn't really complain in the afterworld, does it?" he asked. Once more, Kyu tilted his head in confusion. "Right, of course you don't understand."

Naruto was about to commence in Operation: Search for Clothes when he realized he left a big mess nearby. Examining the gravesite, and a gravestone that stated his name, it finally lodged into his head that he was buried six feet under. When his soul was torn from his body, it must've died immediately. Therefore, it would have only been right to bury the body. Naruto nodded in understanding and formed another hand seal for a jutsu to return the dirt and fix his mess.

Just before doing so, he noticed something sparkle at the base of his coffin. He leaped down to retrieve an old, sparkling silver ring. When he was sure that nothing was left, he jumped out to the surface and proceeded with his jutsu. The blond looked at his finished work, noting that it looked probably as it did before the explosion. Even the gravestone looked nice and almost new.

"I think I did pretty well if I do say so my-" he was cut off with a snarl from his pet, squeaking at something to the near east. Naruto paid that direction some attention and heard footsteps coming. Immediately, he stormed off to hide behind a tree. He spied on the person in question, who sported a near-spotless ANBU uniform. The man stopped at Naruto's grave and removed his mask to reveal an extremely pale face that lacked any sort of human emotion.

"Wow that guy looks familiar," Naruto whispered to himself. Although he was over five millenia of age, there were some things he hadn't forgotten about his old home. He knew it was called Konoha, and he still knew of his name. All the other litte things like peoples' names and other bits of information were lost in a whirlwind of war and blood.

"Hey Naruto," the pale ANBU greeted. The blond cocked up an eyebrow at his would-be acquaintance. It was unfortunate that his name slipped the naked man's memory. "It's been a month since I stopped by, and two years since you left us."

Two years? Only?

"I'm doing fine, and the others are still alive as well... though perhaps our definition of "alive" isn't quite parallel," he said monotonously.

Naruto couldn't remember the names of his friends either, a rather grim thought to the naked man. He knew he has friends but the thought of not remembering their names brought him more shame than the time he first killed a minion of hell who was begging for his life. He did many things he wasn't proud of, though at the time he probably didn't care. Hell changed him, much to his dismay.

"I feel you should know how your friends are faring without you, though I doubt it's my place to divulge such information," he continued to speak as Naruto tried his best to process the given information. "I've made it to the Hunter corp., tough as the exams were. The captain had use of my talents in artistry and immediately recommended me a spot. I took the offer without a second thought."

"As far as current events, Konoha is trying to make peace with the other neighboring countries. We have ambassadors all over the place, along with leaf shinobi spread out in order to help rebuild from the chaos that was two years ago," he said, kneeling down as he placed a white rose in front of the gravestone. "I just wanted to tell you how we're all doing, and how much we miss you. Just keep watching us from the stars. We'll see you again before you know it and I'll have a lot of stories to tell."

Naruto smirked at the Hunter as he departed. If only he knew the stories he had probably paled in comparison to 5000 years of war tales. Still, Naruto would love to hear what the other shinobi had to say. However, he is supposed to be dead. As much as he wanted to return to his friends, he felt he no longer belonged in their lives. It was a sudden decision made up just now. He turned to his pet.

"Kyu, I want to go in there to find out what everyone's been up to. But I don't belong there anymore. I lived my life, died, and caused them grief. I think it would be better for them to keep thinking I'm dead. They'll eventually get over it and get on with their lives," he said. Kyu shook his head. "Oh come on. How about we travel the world together, just you and me? I'm sure there are lots of exciting things this world has to offer."

Kyu continued to shake his head. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Are you saying I should return to Konoha?" he nodded. "Have you been listening to me? I should be dead. This is my chance to leave my previous life behind and see this world for what it is."

Kyu barked at him a few times.

"Just check it out? I can't know their opinions until I ask them for myself?" I said, translating his little barks to myself so my brain could keep up. "I don't know. I told you already, I don't belong there anymore. Just let their memory of me die as I should have."

Kyu squeaked a bit more.

"I know I shouldn't have died. Kami yanked me from here and… hang on, how do you know so much? You haven't even been alive for half a day," he said to the infant fox. Kyu shrugged his little shoulders. Naruto began pacing for several minutes, weighing his options. "Fine, I'll go, but I'll be under a henge. It'll cause some unnecessary trouble if I see them as I am."

The fox's eyes trailed over his father's body.

"Of course I'll be clothed, you pervert. You have sick thoughts for an infant, you know," Naruto said, a blush riding up his cheeks. With that, he formed a hand seal and transformed into a traveling monk.

The long sleeve black and blue robes he adorned, along with the new sandals and straw hat were all made with chakra. Naruto made sure to change his blond hair color to black, so as to not stand out in the crowd. There aren't many blonds in Konoha, after all. The now raven-haired Naruto looked to his foxy companion… or rather former fox.

Kyu, against his will, was transformed into a snow rabbit. His size remained to be that of a grown man's palm so as to retain his overall cuteness. The little rabbit snarled at its father but made no other complaints. Unknown to Naruto, Kyu wanted to learn more about his father. He was much smarter than normal animals, being a demon and all, even though still an infant. Kyu glared at the monk.

"What? Don' t you think it would be weird for the villagers to see a pocket-size demon fox? Besides, you're still cute right now. All the little girls will be giddy over you," he said. Kyu rolled his eyes.

Naruto made his way to the leaf village, through the main gate, and took in a deep breath.

"I'm home, Kyu-chan. Now it's time for some chow at-" he was interrupted when a 3-man team of ANBU darted passed him. One almost hit him if he hadn't moved out of the way, a curvy woman with long platinum-blond hair. For a fraction of a second, their eyes met. Naruto could swear he saw the woman's eyes widen through her mask. He shrugged his shoulders and continued his search for a place to quell the rage in his stomach.

"Yamanaka-sama, are you alright?" asked the woman's subordinate as she ceased movement for a second. The long-haired woman looked back at the monk-looking person whom she passed by. Familiar sapphire-blue eyes, she wondered. But he had black hair so it couldn't be. Besides, the man in question is gone. Her head was playing tricks with her. She closed her eyes for a moment, let out a sigh, and nodded.

"Yes, sorry. Let's hurry," she said as the team burst out of the village in a hurry. Naruto watched as the blond woman ran off with two others, out of the village. Kyu squeaked at her, Naruto raised an eyebrow at his pet. It was strange that he understood those little squeaks as if they were Japanese. He didn't bother to question it.

"Hey, she's too old for you. Sheesh, you're only an hour old and you're already lusting after women? Set your eyes on other foxes, will you?" asked an irritated Naruto. Kyu merely stuck his tongue at the monk. Naruto shook his head and continued his sightseeing. Most of Konoha's population was getting ready to retire for the night. After a few minutes of trekking, the monk spotted an all too familiar ramen stand.

"There's no way I could forget this place," he said, noting the one restaurant that never refused his business as a growing kid. Naruto entered and sat down beside a black-haired male shinobi. He had a scar slit across his the tops of his nose. Naruto looked to him, trying to rack his head for the name of this familiar man. The man turned to him.

"Can I help you?" he asked. Even his voice was familiar.

"Hello, given the way you dress, you must be a shinobi of this village. I've always wanted to come here," said Naruto.

"This is Konoha, one of the five great nations," he said, eying his conversation partner. "Are you some sort of monk, perhaps a traveler?"

"Both, in fact," said Naruto. The scarred man extended his hand. Naruto shook it. "I come from a province in the land of wind."

"I see. Then let me be the first to welcome you to my home. I am Umino Iruka," he said with a smile. Naruto fought the urge to pounce at the older man. It was his old academy teacher, one of the few to acknowledge him positively during his childhood. "I assume you have no money, traveler?"

Naruto nodded. Iruka smiled and called the attention of the old ramen chef in front of him.

"Teuchi-san, a bowl of beef and pork ramen for this traveler. The bill is on me," he said as he brandished a few coins. The ramen chef took the payment and, in no time, a bowl of piping hot ramen was in front of Naruto. The former blond smiled, took a set of chopsticks from a container to the right, and began eating. Kyu ate off of his father's bowl with equal vigor. Iruka watched with interest.

"Well now, a snow rabbit that eats ramen. How very peculiar," he said, looking to the monk. Naruto hungrily slurped the ramen broth.

"Him? Oh, I found him on the way here. He's very friendly. Kyu-chan, thank Umino-san for our meal will ya?" he asked. The snow rabbit smiled to the academy instructor before returning to his dinner. This puzzled Iruka even further.

"Kyu-chan, hm? He understands human tongue?" asked the confused man. Naruto nodded. "You have an interesting companion, sir. So what brings you here?"

"I uh…" Naruto trailed off as he finished his ramen. Kyu licked off the remnants of the broth. "I wanted to see if the rumors were true about the shinobi around here. I heard Konoha has the strongest shinobi army of the five great nations."

Iruka raised his head proudly as Naruto ordered another bowl on Iruka's tab.

"Oh I don't know about that," the chunin said modestly. "We have a very strong army here alright, but I wouldn't say we're the strongest."

"That right?" asked Naruto, beginning on his second bowl. "I also heard of a handsome hero who saved this village from destruction. I'd very much like to meet him."

At this, Iruka became quiet. Naruto slowed his eating and gave a moment of respect for himself. Even the old ramen chef became quiet. The only sounds in the area were the footsteps and chatters of the public, along with the sizzling-hot ramen on the stove. Naruto watched as Iruka clenched his fists. The man's body shook a bit. Instantly, the former blond regretted asking. So absorbed was he in his heroism that he forgot to think about how the taboo of a name would affect others.

"Sorry. It seems this hero's name is still a sore subject for the people of his village," said Naruto. Iruka shook it off with a smile.

"No, no, it's alright. It's been two years since I last saw that man. He grew up, right before my eyes, into a powerful shinobi that this village had come to respect," said the chunin, eyes already watering. "Like his father, he gave his life for the village. Heroes like him come only once in a generation."

"You speak so highly of him. I would have loved to meet him," said Naruto, talking about himself.

"Our blond hero, Uzumaki Naruto, was a shinobi in his own league, again, much like his father," said Iruka, idolizing his student. Naruto ordered another bowl after finishing his second. "He affected so many people in his life and never asked for anything in return. After he died, all of his friends kind of grew distant from each other. Outsiders may think his death brought forth a new age of peace, but his friends, along with myself, believe otherwise."

Iruka looked to the monk, disregarding the two stacked empty bowls.

"Peace? I wish. His friends are in distraught. Not one of us have let go of his memory," said Iruka. Naruto, while eating, continued to listen and absorb the information. "With the permission of our Hokage, we even chiseled a stone monument of his face beside the other Hokages of this village. Although never holding such a position, Uzumaki Naruto was hailed Rokudaime Hokage of Konoha in honor of his services to this village."

At that, Naruto paused. He had actually achieved his long-time dream of becoming Hokage. It wasn't in the way he imagined but the village finally respected his merit and worthiness as a shinobi. In the inside, the former blond was jumping with joy. However, at the same time, he was sad for his friends. He would visit them after his stomach had its fill. Kyu could sense the uneasiness in his father's aura and snuggled into his neck.

Iruka smiled at the sight before him.

"That snow rabbit is rather fond of you, isn't he?"

"Yes, I suppose he is," said Naruto, standing from his seat after his ninth finished bowl. He bowed to his old teacher. "Thank you for this meal, Umino Iruka-san. I'll repay you somehow."

"No, it's alright," he said. "I should be leaving as well. It was good to meet you… um…"

"I don't really have a name, Umino-san. I'm just a traveling monk from the land of wind," he said. Iruka nodded and bid his farewell. Naruto wandered aimlessly. With his stomach full and Kyu asleep on his shoulder, he decided to visit Team Seven's old training ground. He had come there to train when he was younger, with his former team. A flood of memories surged through his mind as he took into the scenery.

It was then that he spotted a familiar stone mark near the area. He sighed at the memories. This was the place where the names of fallen shinobi were engraved, namely those of importance to other people. Naruto placed his hand on the obsidian slump of stone, immediately spotting his name on the surface. It was the only name that was fully capitalized. After a few minutes of paying respects to the fallen, he turned to leave but stopped when a silver-haired man approached him.

He had a book to his face, supported with one hand, while the other hand was inside his pocket. He wore the same tactical vest and navy blue shirt and pants that Iruka wore. A mask was worn to cover his nose and mouth. His shinobi hitae-ate covered his left eye. Naruto groaned at another familiar face whose name he had forgotten. The man passed by him, looking to the boulder instead. The moment Naruto took a step away was the moment the man began to speak.

"Hm? I haven't seen you before. An outsider?" he asked. The man placed his book away as his hand entered his other pocket. Naruto nodded. "I see. What brings you here at this hour?"

"No real reason. I'm a simple monk, traveling from a province in the land of wind," said the former blond. The Cyclops-shinobi nodded. "I'll take my leave. I'd hate to intrude in your time here."

"I'd prefer if you stayed, nameless traveler," he said kindly. Naruto remained back to back with him. "It's sad isn't it? Watching a younger comrade die in front of you? He had so much potential, so much to live for, but he laid down his life and future for people who wronged him."

Naruto remained still.

"Once, I was entrusted as his teacher. I, too, was young and played favorites. I always made up excuses that would stun his growth, but he always persisted. He soared higher and higher than any of us, yet he never looked to us as inferior. I played only a small role in his growth, a regret I'll always have nightmares of," said the older man.

The former blond looked to the other man. Though his back was turned, sniffles were hardly ever kept quiet. Naruto walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. At the touch of a familiar hand, the silver-haired man froze.

"I don't know who it is you speak of, but I'm sure he wouldn't want one of his precious people to blame himself for a decision that was beyond his control," said Naruto as he turned to leave. "You can tell him all your stories when you see him in the stars. I'm sure he'd love to hear them all…"

Naruto smirked, finally remembering the man's name.

"… Just remember, Copy-Ninja, if you're going to be late, make sure to come up with a better excuse than helping a cat climb down a tree, or helping an old lady cross a street," he said as his body flickered out of the training ground. Tears fell from the one-eyed shinobi's face.

As he left the training area, Naruto opted for some sleep.

He hadn't experienced fatigue since his time in hell. The body, or rather the soul, is full of everlasting energy. Now that he has a body, things like fatigue, thirst, lust, and hunger would be common feelings. With two out of the four satisfied, lust being nonexistent at the moment, the monk pondered where his apartment was. After some thought, he realized he didn't remember where it was. Even if he did, it may be occupied by someone else by now.

Without having a place to stay, Naruto would have to play a little trick on the local motel receptionist. He entered a random building that had the stench of blood all over. Having fought in hell for so long, it was the only scent he was used to. A bubble-gum-haired young woman, dressed in a white nurse uniform, was filling out some paperwork at the reception desk.

She was quite beautiful and curvy, much like the ANBU that had passed him upon his entrance to Konoha. Emerald-green eyes sparkled under the bright light on the ceiling. Naruto was ogling at the woman's body for a moment before his thoughts were brushed off by her voice.

"Excuse me, visiting hours at this hospital are over," her angelic voice passed through his ears.

"Hospital? I see, so this isn't a motel. My mistake," Naruto mumbled, yet audible enough for his conversation partner to hear. The woman nodded politely and returned to her paperwork. The monk sighed to himself and opted to turn away and seek shelter elsewhere. Before he could, the pink-haired nurse called him over. He approached her so he was against the reception desk, not three feet away from the attractive young woman.

"If you're looking for a motel, you're out of luck. Most of those types of buildings are full at this time of year," she said, wondering why this outsider was in the village at all. Before Naruto could ask why, the nurse's mouth formed an "o" for a moment. "Oh, you're here for _that_ huh? I can allow you to stay at one of the vacant rooms as long as you don't bother any of the patients."

Naruto was confused.

"You don't look like you're from around here, perhaps a traveler from another country?" she asked. Naruto passed a nod. "If you're here for the second year anniversary ceremony tomorrow, then I can spare a room in this hospital. People visit Konoha once a year to pay their respect to Uzumaki Naruto for sacrificing his life to save this world."

The woman became teary eyed for a moment. She dropped her pen to wipe her tears.

"Sorry, I was a friend of his. I knew him personally and October 10, his birthday, puts me to tears since his death," she said. Naruto nodded once more. At least now he knew what today's date was. The village and other neighboring countries came around once per year to respect his memory because he saved the world from Uchiha Madara? Naruto decided to play along.

"Yes, I came for that exact purpose. I'm sorry but I don't have any money to spare," he said. The nurse shook her head.

"Don't worry about it. My name is Haruno Sakura, by the way," she said. Naruto nodded, remembering that name as a member of the old Team Seven. He then followed her up a set of stairs to a vacant room. There were two empty beds a curtain that separated the beds, and a window to the side. "Your clothes look worn and dirty. I can wash them and prepare a set for you if you like."

"Thank you, but I'll have to refuse that offer. You're already doing so much," he said.

"I told you not to worry about it," she said as she vanished for a few minutes and returned with a set of fresh clothes, handing them to her guest before exiting the room to allow him to change in peace.

Naruto took the clothes and changed into them. He dispelled his chakra-based clothing and put on his new set. He looked at himself at a mirror, admiring the swirl-like crest on the back of his black t-shirt and his clean orange pants. He couldn't shake off the feeling that the clothing he wore seemed so familiar. He sighed at the white streaks of hair on his head. For some reason, his henge wouldn't cover that piece of himself.

The nurse returned to the room with a smile… which faded into shock as her hands went up to her mouth. Her eyes widened.

"Your hair…" she muttered. Naruto racked his brain for a quick excuse. He didn't want anyone to know who he was just yet.

"It's uh… I'm much older than I look. My skin has no creases or wrinkles, the wonders of modern medicine, wouldn't you agree?" he asked. Sakura let out a sigh and nodded.

"Right, sorry," she apologized quickly, smiling to herself. "So what's your name?"

"I'm…" Naruto paused as he shook her hand. "I'm sorry, I don't have a name. I'm just a traveling monk from the land of wind."

"A nameless monk from the land of wind…?" she said to herself. Though the sentence wasn't meant for him, Naruto nodded. "What brings you here?"

"I do what travelers do… travel," he replied. "I am curious, however, why did you welcome me to your hospital? I'm a stranger after all."

Sakura shook her head.

"I guess it's your striking resemblance to my friend's late fiancée," she said. Naruto looked to Kyu, who gave a nod.

"It isn't Uzumaki Naruto, is it?" asked the traveler. Sakura nodded. "I've heard of him from the townspeople. I'm sorry for your friend's loss, ma'am. Uzumaki-san really sounded like wonderful man, at least according to Umino Iruka-san and Hatake Kakashi-san."

"So you've met them," she said, giving him a nod. "You can use this room for the night."

She turned to leave but before she could, Naruto stopped her with his voice.

"Has there ever been a time, for you, when you thought your presence was so much a burden to others that you just wanted to move out of their way?" he asked. Had he his mind of 5000 years ago, never would he have asked such a question. Sakura turned to him and nodded, looking sincerely into his sapphire-blue eyes.

"Yes, I faced such a time, but I didn't move out of their way. I kept following them. I became stronger and more reliable so that one day I could no longer be a burden," she said, leaning on the door frame. "Two of my friends are gone and I was powerless to prevent any of it. That's why I continue to become stronger so I can prevent it from happening to anyone else. I don't want others to experience my pain."

"So you pushed forward. I understand. Thank you, Haruno-san," he said to her as he turned the lights off retired for the night. Naruto slipped into the comfortable bed. Kyu snuggled close to his father's neck, enjoying the warmth. The blond was tired but knew he would be getting less sleep than he hoped for.

"Kyu-chan, you got your wish, saw my old home, and even got me to remember a lot of things," he said. The little fox purred like a baby kitten. "A lot of things are coming back to me, but there are still so many gaps I've yet to fill. It's the reason why I had second thoughts to coming back here. I'm so ashamed to look at their faces and not remember all the good times we spent together. I couldn't even remember their names."

Kyu squeaked a few.

"You got what you want, now you want me to make my decision to stay here or not. But whatever my choice, you'll stay with me right?" he asked. Kyu nibbled at his father's neck, a fox's sign of affection. "Sorry, forgive me for asking. There's still a lot I don't know. I've affected so many people in my life and if I were to look at some of their faces, I wouldn't even know them. They'd be strangers like I am to them in this henge form."

Naruto rummaged his pocket for the silver ring he found in his coffin. Talking to Sakura earlier, he deduced it must have been an engagement ring. And recalling what she said about her friend, he knew he was missing someone extremely dear to his heart. A minute later, a smirk crept up to his lips. His fiancée had just passed him by, as he passed her without a thought. Long platinum-blond hair…

The traveler closed his eyes to recall what she had looked like. She wore the signature ANBU uniform and mask, making it impossible to tell apart her looks from the all other ANBU. He clenched his hand, the one with the ring in it. He was shamed even further that he couldn't even form the face of his fiancée in his thoughts. Naruto closed his eyes, only to wake up about six and a half hours later, fully rested.

He didn't know if it was due to his half-demon powers, but he felt up and ready for a new day… and he knew what to do. After conjuring his monk outfit, and making sure Kyu was awake, he left his room, made his way to the reception desk, and scribbled a note for Sakura. He placed the silver ring on top of the note and left both items on the desk before walking out.

There was no one around the streets of Konoha, just perfect for a little getaway.

Naruto looked up to the Hokage monument and did indeed see his face next to Tsunade's. Satisfied at that, he made his way to the main gate. Upon arrival, he stood still for a moment. There would be no going back after this decision was made. Once his feet left the village, he would never return. He nodded to himself. He slept on it and decided that if he couldn't remember the people he loved it would hurt too much to see them again.

As soon as he took a step forward, a voice caught his attention from behind.

"Leaving so soon? It's a little early for a morning stroll, don't you think?" asked the voice of Haruno Sakura. Naruto turned to see not only her but every person whose heart he touched in his life. Everyone from Konoha's rookie 11, all of his previous teachers, minus a certain frog sage and a cigar addict, the head honcho of the leaf village, and the shinobi of the sand. There were even people from the land of waves. Sakura was at the front-center of the rather large group of people.

"Your henge has gotten pretty good, you know," she said. Naruto scoffed, then smirked afterward. "Last night, when you asked me that question of being a burden to others, my mind instantly thought for a certain hyperactive knucklehead shinobi. I just couldn't believe it. So, after you retired for the night, I went out and ran into Iruka-sensei. He told me about how he met up with a strange traveler who was able to eat nine bowls of ramen."

Iruka smiled from within the crowd.

"You also mentioned Kakashi-sensei, so I looked for him as well. When I found him, he was a weeping mess at Team Seven's old training ground, in front of the stone dedicated to fallen shinobi," she continued. "You knew his tendency for being late all the time, along with his favorite excuses to use when he's late to any occasion. And before I go on to the best part, there's no such thing as a yellow-eyed snow rabbit."

The monk chuckled at this. Kyu blushed.

"I was starting to piece things together and when the puzzle was complete, I called in everyone. A lot of them were already here, while some were out on a last minute mission. They should be coming soon," said Sakura. Naruto had a feeling there was much more to this speech. "All of this took several hours to accomplish, and just when the people were gathered, you were missing from your room. It didn't take me long to find the note you left at the reception desk."

Sakura pocketed her hand and took out a silver ring. Naruto eyed it for a moment.

"You know, you always had the worst penmanship. I recognized it right away," she said as she tossed the ring at him. The former blond caught it with one hand. Just then, someone body-flickered in front of Sakura. It was the ANBU he was briefly acquainted with the night before, the one with long platinum-blond hair. She was panting heavily. The woman slowly removed her mask and immediately, her name registered into the monk's memory. He smiled at that.

He looked into her eyes as he formed a hand seal with one hand.

"Kai," he whispered, releasing a puff of gray smoke and his henge. When the smoke was cleared, a few people from the posse smirked while the rest gasped. The female blond was still panting, though becoming decreasingly less often.

"You always did have the sharpest mind out of all of us, eh Sakura?" he asked, though looking at the silver ring on his hand, not at the person in question. The female blond dropped her mask, her gloved hands to her mouth. When Sakura informed her of an emergency in the village, this was the last thing on her mind. Perhaps it was due to the impossibility of the situation, but she's been proven wrong before. This was _the_ most unpredictable shinobi in the village after all.

"I've been MIA for a long time, and in that time I forgot most of my memories about you guys," said the male blond, still playing with the ring on his hand. "When I… returned to the village, details I'll spare you all from, I was so ashamed that our memories together actually faded from my mind. I was ashamed to look at any of you, but I was convinced to give one last glance before walking away and never seeing any of you again."

Kyu, being the one who suggested for Naruto to give the village another chance, blushed once more and turned away from his father. The former monk's finger slipped slightly into the hole of the ring, then removed it almost immediately.

"This ring belongs to me… but I've forgotten who that person is. I've forgotten most of his identity, the names of his friends, his purpose in life, his past, and the good times he's had with his precious people," he said to them. "I couldn't face any of you, knowing this, and so was born the decision to just leave this place and never return."

The female ANBU walked slowly toward the only man who could make her tremble, the only man who made her knees weak, yet strong at the same time. He is her strength to carry out justice, and her courage to do what is right. She wasn't weak and useless anymore, he showed her how not to be. He showed everyone how not to be weak, how to stand up to what they believed in, to never back down from any challenge, to always come out on top, and to never break a promise.

It was after all, his ninja way.

The platinum-blond-haired woman took the ring from the other blond's hand and slipped it into his finger. The former monk tried to protest but an embrace from the female ANBU calmed his body. She pulled out of the embrace after a few moments, blue eyes clashing with blue eyes. She held his hands to hers, familiar warmth seeping into her body, one that she would never let go of ever again.

"If you're alive, it must mean your death was either planned or unintentional," she said. "Whatever the reason, I won't push it until you're ready to tell me. The only thing I want to know from you, right now, is if you're planning to stay. Depending on how you answer this question will lead me to my next order of business."

"The leaf village is my home. I was born, raised, and will probably die here. The whole traveler gig was just me being an idiot as always," he replied. "I'm planning to stay for the foreseeable future."

Ino nodded at him and applied more pressure into squeezing his hands.

"You may not remember me," she said, tears forming in her beautiful eyes. "But one time, you promised to protect me, even gave your life for me. So now I promise the same. I, Yamanaka Ino, swear on the honor of my clan and the people of this village, to love you and care for you till, death do us part. Even if Kami or the death god would separate us again, I'll wage war with them to my dying breath. As you have done for so many, I too will protect the one I love most."

It took the male blond a few moments to process his situation. Although he couldn't remember most of them, he remembered Ino almost instantly. She has waited long enough for this moment, and he never was the type to disappoint his loved ones. In a blink of an eye, he scanned his surroundings. Neither he, nor Ino, wore traditional marriage garments. But, the people who need to be present for such a ceremony were present.

Now is as good a time as any.

"We've both been waiting a long time for this, so it makes no sense to postpone it any further," he smiled. A tear slid from Ino's eyes. "I, Uzumaki Naruto, swear on my life and to the people of this village, to love you and care for you till death do us part. Kami and the death god can bicker all they want, but they won't be involving me anymore. I plan to have children, kick baa-chan off her throne, become the greatest Hokage, and grow old with the woman I love."

"Kami and… Kyuubi?" Ino asked. Naruto smiled.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you about it later," he whispered.

"Then, with the power vested in me," said the busty Hokage, using the body-flicker movement to appear in front of the couple. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

"Make me," said Naruto, surprising every single person in the crowd. Even the female ANBU was shocked. "I'm not going to do that in front of all of you."

"And why is that?" Tsunade asked, irritated. Naruto picked up his former fiancée, bridal style.

"Easy," he said, looking into the confused eyes of his female blond. "I want our first kiss as a married couple to be a memory belonging only to us, not with the prying eyes of you nosy people."

"Then get us out of here, my love," said Ino. Naruto nodded, threw a strange kunai to the fourth Hokage's monument with great demonic strength, and winked at his and Ino's audience.

"Hiraishin no Jutsu," he muttered as he and Ino flickered to the top of the fourth Hokage's monument, right next to Naruto's tri-pronged kunai. He let her down but her arms were still wrapped around his neck. "Now then, where were we?"

"You were about to kiss me."

"I was? Now what would compel me to doing something like that?"

"Well, if you don't, I'm going to rip out your spinal cord."

"Heh, sexy and spunky, I think I'm starting to remember why I asked you to marry me."

"Do tell."

"That's a story for another time. For now, come here you," he said, planting his lips onto hers. Kyu squeaked happily on Naruto's shoulder. At this, the blond softly broke out of the kiss. He lifted the little fox from his shoulder.

"You are too young to be watching this, Kyu-chan," he said as he formed a hand seal with two hands, creating a shadow clone. "Can you keep him busy?"

"Sure," said the shadow clone, taking the little fox from Naruto's hand against his will. The two hopped off the stone monument, leaving the lovely couple to themselves.

"Kyu-chan?" Ino asked, watching as the shadow clone of her husband leaped away with the little red fox. "Dana-sama, you have a lot of things to tell me."

"And if I don't?"

"Maybe you haven't gotten the memo, but I'm head of the Interrogation Corp., for the ANBU Intelligence Division. There are many ways to make a human squeal, and I'm very creative," she said almost seductively.

"Maybe you haven't gotten the memo, but I'm a half-demon. You'll have to pull all yours stops to get me to do what you want, and even then… I have doubts, my love," he replied with a daring smirk. "How creative are we talking?"

"That's a story for another time, and trust me when I say disappointment will not be an issue," said the female blond as she pulled him in closer to her. "For now, come here you."

The two locked lips once more.


End file.
